Medical malpractice does not begin and end with doctors. The medical facilities we turn to for care also bear a significant responsibility for our safety, and this includes injuries caused by falls. If you or your loved one has been injured in a fall that you took as a patient in a hospital, you need an accomplished hospital fall attorney from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with a wide range of experience successfully handling these challenging claims on your side.
Falling as a Patient in the Hospital
If you’re in the hospital, you’re already in a vulnerable position. You’re either sick, awaiting surgery or another procedure, or recovering from medical treatment, and the last thing you need is to suffer another setback. Unfortunately, those who are hospitalized fall more often than you likely realize, and the results can be tragic.
Accepting Responsibility
Too often, patients who take a fall in the hospital blame themselves – for being clumsy or standing up too quickly or for any other reason. It’s human nature to be embarrassed when we fall and to blame our own lack of grace, but when you’re in the hospital, it’s a different matter. The fact is that a primary function of hospital staff, including nurses and CNAs, is preventing falls. A fall in the hospital can lead to the following:
- An injury that is separate from the issue you were hospitalized for
- A worsening of the condition that led to your hospitalization
- A more difficult recovery
- A longer hospital stay
- Increased expense
Ultimately, when a patient falls in the hospital and suffers a serious injury as a result, it’s considered a never event. This is because when hospitals take safety protocols related to prevention seriously, falls should not happen.
Common Causes
While no two hospital fall cases are alike, The Joint Commission reports that most share common causes such as the following:
- Lack of leadership
- Failure to follow safety protocols or practices
- A failure of communication within the facility
- Failure to adequately train staff
- Inadequate staffing levels
- Problems with the hospital’s physical environment
Protective Measures
There are relatively easy fixes that hospitals can implement to help ensure that dangerous falls don’t happen, including:
- Bed alarms that alert hospital staff when someone who is at increased risk of falling attempts to leave their bed
- Bed rails that help to keep the most vulnerable safe in bed until assistance arrives
- Fall-risk assessment tools that help determine those who are at the highest risk of falling and who require additional assistance
- Clear communication that clearly identifies those patients who are at the greatest risk of falling
- A thorough fall-prevention protocol that the hospital carefully follows
An Experienced Harrisburg Medical Malpractice Attorney Can Help
The focused medical malpractice attorneys at Marzella and Associates – proudly serving Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – recognize the full scope of your losses related to falling during a hospital stay and are committed to fiercely advocating for the compensation to which you’re entitled. Learn more by contacting us online or calling us at 866-488-5461 and scheduling your free consultation today.